Many current electrical devices are designed to operate with power supplied from a battery, where a coupling needs to exist between the power terminals of the battery and the power terminals of the electrical device in order for the electrical device to draw power from the battery. The coupling must account for the correct polarity of the different power terminals. For example, the positive power terminal of the battery must be connected to the positive power terminal of the electric device, while the negative power terminal of the battery must be connected to the negative power terminal of the electric device. An incorrect coupling that reverses the respective polarities of the power terminals could create a dangerous condition or damage the electrical device.
For some electrical devices, the battery can be pre-coupled to the electrical device during the manufacturing process. As an example, an uninterruptible power supply can be manufactured with a pre-coupled battery. In some situations, however, the electrical device can outlast the life of the battery, even if the battery is rechargeable, such that an end user might have to couple a replacement battery to the power terminals of the electric device. This normally requires the user to disconnect and reconnect one at a time at least the positive and negative power terminals of the battery and the electrical device. In such situations, a potential for damage exists if the user were to install the replacement battery incorrectly, such as by coupling terminals of opposite polarity together. A similar situation can also happen during the manufacturing process if the coupling were made by factory workers. These situations can become even more dangerous if the electrical device is coupled to a main power source while the replacement battery is installed because the user could be shocked if he incorrectly installed the replacement battery, and/or if he directly contacted the power terminals of the electric device.
Accordingly, a need exists for an electrical coupler system that restricts a battery from being coupled to an electrical device when the polarities of the respective power terminals of the battery and the electrical device are not properly aligned.
For simplicity and clarity of illustration, the drawing figures illustrate the general manner of construction, and descriptions and details of well-known features and techniques may be omitted to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the invention. Additionally, elements in the drawing figures are not necessarily drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help improve understanding of examples of embodiments. The same reference numerals in different figures denote the same elements.
The terms “first,” “second,” “third,” “fourth,” and the like in the description and in the claims, if any, are used for distinguishing between similar elements and not necessarily for describing a particular sequential or chronological order. It is to be understood that the terms so used are interchangeable under appropriate circumstances such that the embodiments of the invention described herein are, for example, capable of operation in sequences other than those illustrated or otherwise described herein. Furthermore, the terms “include,” and “have,” and any variations thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements is not necessarily limited to those elements, but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus.
The terms “left,” “right,” “front,” “back,” “top,” “bottom,” “over,” “under,” and the like in the description and in the claims, if any, are used for descriptive purposes and not necessarily for describing permanent relative positions. It is to be understood that the terms so used are interchangeable under appropriate circumstances such that the embodiments of the invention described herein are, for example, capable of operation in other orientations than those illustrated or otherwise described herein.
The terms “couple,” “coupled,” “couples,” “coupling,” and the like should be broadly understood and refer to connecting two or more elements, mechanically or otherwise. Coupling may be for any length of time, e.g., permanent or semi-permanent or only for an instant. The absence of the word “removably,” “removable,” and the like near the word “coupled,” and the like does not mean that the coupling, etc. in question is or is not removable.